US3112711A

US3112711A - Railroad car replacer

Info

Publication number: US3112711A
Application number: US846095A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry M Alderman
Original assignee: Burlington Rerailers Inc
Current assignee: Burlington Rerailers Inc
Priority date: 1959-10-13
Filing date: 1959-10-13
Publication date: 1963-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 1980-12-03

Description

Dec. 3, 1-963 H. M. ALDERMAN RAILROAD CAR REPLACER 2 SheetS-She et 1 Filed Oct. 13, 1959 ATTORN E 25 Dec. 3, 1963 Filed Oct. 13, 1959 H. M. ALDERMAN 3,112,711

RAILROAD CAR REPLACER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS United States Patent Iowa Filed Oct. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 846,095 3 Claims. (81. 104272) This invention relates to railroad car replacers and more particularly a railroad car replacer comprised of a truck adjuster and a rerailer used for replacing derailed railroad cars back on the tracks.

The art of replacing derailed railroad cars back on the tracks has been accomplished by the use of a rerailer for each rail. This has the disadvantage that the bottom of the truck frame of the car or engine to be rerailed would scrape the top of the rerailer, thereby weakening the truck frame, breaking other equipment on the undercarriage and moving the rerailer in the process. This made it necessary to tear up the rerailing set up and start over at great expense. With the truck frame of railroad cars becoming lower and lower, this has become a large problem in the art of replacing derailed railroad cars on tracks. Furthermore, the use of rerailers has required using heavy equipment made of castings to comprise the rerailers. This equipment has become so heavy and bulky that it has been ditficult for train crews to handle. Also due to the various sizes of rails in use on railroads today, ditferent size rerailers have been used.

The car replacer forming part of this invention involves rolling stock equipment which is of such extremely limited vertical clearance and is, relatively to its weight so fragile on the under side thereof, that any drop during replacement of said equipment may result in extensive and expensive damage thereto.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a railroad car replacer which brings the bottom of the wheels of the car or engine to be replaced on the rails up to the level of the rerailer prior to passing over the rerailer.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a railroad car replacer which has'a truck adjuster that is light weight and easily placed in connection with the rerailer without bolting, spiking or blocking and that will not become detached from the rerailer in the process of moving the derailed railroad car onto the truck adjuster.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a 'truckadjuster which will prevent the bottom of the truck frame of he derailed car or engine from scraping the top of the rerailer during rerailing, thereby avoiding Weakening and damaging of the truck frame. with this particular object of the invention the wheel axle units employed relate to the handling of loads of the nature of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a rerailer having clamps that will fit various sizes of rails.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a railroad car replacer which can be put in place without the use of tools.

Another object of the invention is to provide a supplemental or auxiliary rail device that aids in replacing a derailed railroad car back onto the rails. structurally, therefore, it is a guide rail which comprises a ramp or bar pivoted to a rail-engaging device and providing'an extension therefor that guide the wheels of a railroad truck.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent from the following drawings, descriptions and claims.

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of one side of a four wheeled truck being replaced over the rerailer and truck adjuster.

In connection 3 ,112,711 Patented Dec. 3., 1963 FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the forward protrusion of the truck adjuster showing it detached from the rerailer.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the rerailer and truck adjuster tflen on line 3-3 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the car replacing set up showing both rails.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the top clamp used with the rerailer.

'FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bottom clamp used with the rerailer.

The railroad car replacer is comprised of a rerailer 1 and a truck adjuster 2. The truck adjuster 2 has a forward protrusion 3 with a lug 4 extending angularly downward therefrom. The rerailer 1 has holes 5 so placed as to receive the lug 4. Theholes 5 are placed on both rerailing surfaces 6 of the rerailer 1. The truck adjuster 2 has a sharp incline 7 at the end opposite the forward protrusion 3. The rerailing surface 8 of the truck adjuster 2 narrows from a wide surface at the end of the sharp incline '7 to a narrow surface at the end of the forward protrusion 3. There are flanges 9 on either side of the rerailing surface 8 of the truck adjuster 2. The bottom of the truck adjuster 2 has flanges 10 which rest on the railroad ties 11. The railroad rails are shown as 12.

There are cleats 13 on the bottom of the truck adjuster 2 at its end with the sharp incline 7. The rerailer 1 has m outside hole 1 4 and an inside hole 15 which receive top clamp 16 when such a clamp is employed. Bottom clamp 17 is received only in hole '14 in the rerailer 1 when such a clamp is employed. The rerailer 1 hasrdiagonally inclined flanges 18 on both rerailing surfaces 6. Wedges 19 fit through the holes 20 in the top clamp 16 and 21 in the bottom clamp 17. The top clamp 16 has a curved portion 22 which lies on the top of the rail 12 and a hooked portion 23 which clamps over the top of the rail 12. The bottom clamp .17 has a hooked portion 24 which clamps over the bottom flange of the rail 12. The rerailer 1 has an outside to inside slope at its top 25. I

A railroad car truck 26 is replaced on the rail 12 by first placing the rerailer 1 infront of the

derailed wheels

27 and 28. The top clamp 16 or bottom clamp 17 is used, depending on the size of the rail 12 and the derailed position of the truck wheels. If the top clampl is used it is placed through the holes 14 and 15 in the rerailer 1 and over the top of the rail 12. The wedge 19 .is then placed through the hole 20 in the top clamp 16, which draws the rerailer 1 up flush to the rail 12. Due to the width of the hole 20 and wedge 19 all Widths of rails 12 can be clamped. The lugs 29 protrude from the inside of the rerailer 1 and fit under the top of the rail 12, so that the rerailer 1 can not be kicked off the rail 12 as the truck 26' is run over the rerailer 1. The offset 30 on the inside bottom of the rerailer 1 makes it possible for the rerailer 1 to fit over the flange on the bottom of the rail 12. The cleats 13 hold the end of the truck adjuster 2 that has the sharp incline 7 in place by making contact with the ties 11.

As the truck 26 is moved toward the truck adjuster 2, the front wheel 27 makes contact with the sharp incline '7 of the truck adjuster 2, thereby putting pressure on the lug 4 forcing it upwards. However, because of the angle of the lug 4 relative to the hole 5 in the rerailer 1, the truck adjuster 2 is held secure by the rerailer 1. The truck 26 is then brought up to the position where the front wheel 27 is guided on the rerailing surface 8 between the flanges 9 of the truck adjuster 2 onto the retailing surface 6 of the rerailer 1. As the wheel 27 reaches the rerailing surface 6 of the rerailer 1 it is guided onto the rail 12 by the diagonally inclined flange 18 on the rerailer 1. The wheel .27 is brought to a level above the rail 12 and due to the slope at the top 25 of the rerailer 1 is forced onto the rail 12. The oifset 31 in the rerailer 1 receives the tread of the

wheels

27 and 28. With respect to the flange of the wheel which is to be positioned between the rails 12, said flange is guided over the top clamp 16 in the manner disclosed in my prior Patent 2,593,956, H. M. Alderman, April 22, 1952. When the bottom portion 33 of the truck 26 passes over the rerailer 1 it is kept from making contact with the top 25 of the rerailer 1 because the wheel 28 is now on the truck adjuster 2 and up to the level of the rail 12 as shown in FIG. 1. The rerailer 1 shown in FIG. 4 for the top track 12 has a wide offset 34 which receives the flanges of the wheels of the truck on the other side of the railroad car than those shown in FIG. 1 in that those flanges are on the inside of the top track 12.

If the track 12 is of such size that the top clamp 16 can not be used, then the bottom clamp 17 is inserted through the hole 14 of the rerailer 1 and the hook 24 under the bottom of the rail 12 and around the bottom flange of the rail 12. It is forced in place by a wedge of the same shape as the wedge 19. After both

wheels

27 and 28 of the truck 26 are replaced on the 12, it is possible to run the wheels over the top clamp 16 because the curved portion 22 will raise the wheels so that the flanges 32 will not damage the rest of the clamp 16.

In using either clamp 16 or 17 in the rerailer 1 the size of the holes 14 and 15 allows lateral movement of the clamps 16 and 17. This gives a wedging action on the rail 12 as the rerailer 1 is moved in the process of replacing a derailed railroad car on the track 12 and prevents slippage of the rerailer 1 and truck adjuster 2. The

clamps 16 and 17 hold to the rails 12 because of a knife edge 34 in each clamp. The size of the holes 14 and 15' make it possible to usethe rerailer 1 on rails 12 of any height. 7

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it is to be understood that this invention is not to be considered as limited thereto and that numerous changes and modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, which should be deemed to be part of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination a car replacer for use with railway rolling stock which is of such extremely limited vertical clearance and is, relative to its weight, so fnagile on the under side thereof that any drop during replacement thereof may result'in extensive and expensive damage thereto, a body having a car wheel engaging surface upwardly inclined from the ends toward the center and rising higher than the railroad rail against which said car replacer is adapted to lie and sloping downwardly and inwardly from one side toward the side which is adapted to lie adjacent a railroad rail, converging flanges on the wheel engaging surfaces each flange extending from one end to a point on said center and disappearing on said downwardly and inwardly sloping surface thereby leaving an unbroken surface in the region of said downwardly and inwardly sloping surface, each of said inclined surfaces being provided with a lug receiving opening, each of the sides of said body being provided with an opening adapted to receive rail clamping means, said openings being horizontally aligned, and opposite each other, the opening in the side which is adapted to lie adjacent the railroad rail being considerably larger than the oppositely disposed opening, both openings being larger than an adjustable rail clamping means which is adapted to pass through one or both of said openings whereby said body is secured to the railroad rail and providing for lateral movement of said rail clamping means, said car replacer being reversible in its nature thereby enabling the same to be used to replace a derailed car moving toward it from either direction with respect to the railroad rails, a car wheel truck adjuster detachably secured to said car replacer and adapted to rest upon the rail bed supporting said rails, the wheel-axle units of the truck being capable of handling loads of the nature ofhnndreds of thousands of pounds, said adjuster being substantially as high as said rail-road rail and of a length substantially the overall length of the car truck supporting said oar wheels thereby preventing the bottom portion of the frame forming a part of the truck of the railway equipment to be rerailed from scraping the top of said rerailer and thereby weakening said truck frame, one end of said adjuster terminating in a sharp downwardly disposed car wheel engaging surface, the other end of said adjuster terminating adjacent one of the upper inclined car wheel engaging surfaces of said replacer and detachahly secured to said replacer by means of a downwardly and angul-arly disposed lug resting in either one.

of said lug receiving openings provided in either one of said upwardly incline-d surfaces.

2. The car replacer and truck adjuster described in claim 1 in which the truck adjuster is provided with a car wheel engaging surface which narrows in transverse width from the end provided with the sharp downwardly disposed car wheel engaging surface towards the end provided with the downwardly and angularly disposed lug, said car wheel engaging surface being provided with marginal upstanding flanges.

3. The car replacer and truck adjuster described in claim 1 in which the truck adjuster is provided with a car Wheel engaging surface which is substantially flat between the two ends and is substantially as high above the rail bed as is the wheel engaging surface of the rail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 45,485 76,520 Pullman Apr. 7, 1868 131,384 Baxter Sept. 17, 1874 309,230 Kelly et al. Dec. 16, 1884 473,587 Morris et a1 Apr. 26, 1892 805,175 Welsh Nov. 21, 1905 847,732 Cook Mar. 19, 1907 1,029,394 Morris et al June 11, 1912 1,092,635 Denison Apr. 7, 1914 1,106,864 Desso Aug. 11, 1914 1,117,081 Parker Nov. 10, 1914 1,150,037 Jones Aug. 17, 1915 1,164,512 Harleman Dec. 14, 1915 1,287,747 Rea Dec. 17, 1918 1,294,926 Lyberger Feb. 18, 1919 1,364,744 Gallagher Jan. 4, 1921 1,382,105 McGinley June 21, 1921 1,391,819 Bellows Sept. 27, 1921 1,445,109 Shun-taker Feb. 13, 1923 1,542,737 Skates June 16, 1925 2,183,181 Boone Dec. 12, 1939 2,593,956 Alderman Apr. 22, 1952 2,697,404 Brunner Dec. 21, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 280,185 Germany Nov. 6, 1914 16,643 Great Britain July 12, 1910 Fowler Dec. 20, 1864

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION A CAR REPLACER FOR USE WITH RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK WHICH IS OF SUCH EXTREMELY LIMITED VERTICAL CLEARANCE AND IS, RELATIVE TO ITS WEIGHT, SO FRAGILE ON THE UNDER SIDE THEREOF THAT ANY DROP DURING REPLACEMENT THEREOF MAY RESULT IN EXTENSIVE AND EXPENSIVE DAMAGE THERETO, A BODY HAVING A CAR WHEEL ENGAGING SURFACE UPWARDLY INCLINED FROM THE ENDS TOWARD THE CENTER AND RISING HIGHER THAN THE RAILROAD RAIL AGAINST WHICH SAID CAR REPLACER IS ADAPTED TO LIE AND SLOPING DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY FROM ONE SIDE TOWARD THE SIDE WHICH IS ADAPTED TO LIE ADJACENT A RAILROAD RAIL, CONVERGING FLANGES ON THE WHEEL ENGAGING SURFACES EACH FLANGE EXTENDING FROM ONE END TO A POINT ON SAID CENTER AND DISAPPEARING ON SAID DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY SLOPING SURFACE THEREBY LEAVING AN UNBROKEN SURFACE IN THE REGION OF SAID DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY SLOPING SURFACE, EACH OF SAID INCLINED SURFACES BEING PROVIDED WITH A LUG RECEIVING OPENING, EACH OF THE SIDES OF SAID BODY BEING PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE RAIL CLAMPING MEANS, SAID OPENINGS BEING HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED, AND OPPOSITE EACH OTHER, THE OPENING IN THE SIDE WHICH IS ADAPTED TO LIE ADJACENT THE RAILROAD RAIL BEING CONSIDERABLY LARGER THAN THE OPPOSITELY DISPOSED OPENING, BOTH OPENINGS BEING LARGER THAN AN ADJUSTABLE RAIL CLAMPING MEANS WHICH IS ADAPTED TO PASS THROUGH ONE OR BOTH OF SAID OPENINGS WHEREBY SAID BODY IS SECURED TO THE RAILROAD RAIL AND PROVIDING FOR LATERAL MOVEMENT OF SAID RAIL CLAMPING MEANS, SAID CAR REPLACER BEING REVERSIBLE IN ITS NATURE THEREBY ENABLING THE SAME TO BE USED TO REPLACE A